Guizhou Province in China

The beautiful Chinese province of Guizhou is perhaps more of a tourist destination than it is a place for good trade and investment. Guizhou in China is old and filled with a myriad fascinating attractions. Yet the economy is relatively poor and undeveloped and not many business people are attracted to this small corner of the country. Still, if you have a business idea that could work in this beautiful province, your investment may just prove to be the boost that the local economy needs.

The province of Guizhou is located in the southwest of mainland China. Its capital city is Guiyang and the area has been populated and called by that name for thousands of years. However, it was not until the Ming dynasty that it was made a province. Initially this brought prosperity since it prompted many people to move from the surrounding provinces into Guizhou. Unfortunately, years of revolts and rebellions later took their toll and today Guizhou is characterized by a beautiful landscape, but a poor economic state.

If you wish to conduct trade in Guizhou, you will likely be interested in knowing a bit about the local economy. In 2004 the nominal GDP was US$19.75 billion. While this is certainly not all bad, it made Guizhou the lowest ranking province in the Peoples Republic of China that year. The local economy is mainly supported by tourism and natural resources. Forestry is a massive industry, but the province is also involved in the production of energy and in the mining of coal, limestone, gypsum, oil shale and arsenic. The coal mining industry is probably the largest, with 110 million tones of coal being produced in 2005. While these statistics may not be as good as those of other provinces, they certainly show that Guizhou is a place filled with potential. The right investment at the right time could certainly prove to be very prosperous.

When it comes to tourism, there is plenty to do and see. For starters, the natural beauty of the province is simply breathtaking. Even though few travelers and tourists are familiar with the region, those who do travel to Guizhou Province are usually delighted in the abundance of attractions. The Maolan Karst Forest Nature Conservancy features beautiful rugged mountains, bubbly streams, tall forests and big caves. When it comes to caves, Dragon palace is a cave that resembles a fairy tale crystal palace and the boat ride through it certainly makes you feel as though you are in a different world. The Zhijin Cave Scenic Spot is another delight which is sometimes called ‘The Museum of Karst Formation’ due to the many different kinds of Karst precipitation formations which can be seen in the cave. Hongfeng Lake is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Guiyang city and the Huangguoshu Waterfall is the largest waterfall in China. As if that wasn’t enough, you will find the curious long-horn tribe of the Miao living near Zhijing County. Here you will be greeted by women wearing long wooden horns as a part of their daily attire. Of course, there are a wide variety of other minority cultures to explore which are just as fascinating. Last, but not least, Guizhou is the home China’s most famous alcoholic beverage: Moatai liquor. The Moutai Distillery makes a significant contribution to the local economy and is worth visiting. So try something new and visit Guizhou Province.

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